large reptile enclosures
large reptile enclosures
Starting a reptile rescue?
I have a few questions about how someone would go about starting a reptile rescue. First of all, what kind of grants, funding would you be eligible for (I'm in Florida). My main interest would be taking in snakes/ lizards that have gotten too big for people to take care of. I don't plan on doing this anytime soon (I'm 15). But I would just like the information for future planning. Would I be able to use funding to get a warehouse and build enclosures for such animals? I know that I could not run the thing myself but would I be able to get other people who are experts in certain subjects (lizards, tortoises, or veterinarians) to be on staff and manage those "departments"? How much would I have to pay them? Do reptile rescues like this make the operating costs money by charging the adoption fee's with the animals? Please I really just want a whole bunch of information on what would go into starting a large reptile rescue in Florida.
As *Winged Wolf* pointed out, a rescue is not a way to earn a living. Reptile rescues are definitely needed and it's awesome to learn of someone who wants to take in the big guys that have outgrown their owners! Most rescues are staffed exclusively by volunteers. Supplies are obtained through fundraisers, donations and product donations directly from pet stores, the public or even the product companies themselves.
I am not sure on FL laws, your best bet would be to call your local Fish and Game office and ask them; if they don't know the answer they know who does. To gain credibility and obtain additional funding you will need to start a nonprofit corporation, a 501(c)3. You can receive government grants, though you will need to take grant-writing classes in college, or hire a grant writer, to write the best possible proposal to get funding. Adoption fees help with the costs but do not cover all the expenses.
I work with a reptile rescue in Idaho and am the foster home for larger snakes and monitors, though I do get the smaller guys in on a regular basis. We are an all-volunteer, nonprofit. We take in owner surrenders, animals confiscated in arrest situations, animals that are reported neglected or abused, and we will take in reptiles off of craigslist once in awhile because they have been being improperly cared for and the pictures are heartbreaking. We have stopped taking in owner surrendered iguanas simply because there is no room to take them all. We waitlist them and look for an approved home to adopt them. We've got right around a dozen volunteers at this point and the rescue has been going for about 15 years now. The person who started it simply started in their home and it grew from there.
Here's how it works when I'm called on to foster another big reptile ~
I get a call from the person who has the rescue's cell phone and is taking all the calls (we take turns) to let me know we've got another animal coming in and to find out if I have an empty, suitable enclosure. Calls come in 24/7. There are weeks we won't get any calls, and then there are hell-weeks where we get multiple calls daily. Depending on the species I choose whichever enclosure will meet it's needs and turn on the heat/lights, fill a clean Water dish, check substrate (add it if it's a snake, check the moisture in the 2 feet of fresh dirt for the monitors ~ I remove old substrate, sterilize the enclosure and add new substrate to the enclosure as soon as the animal no longer needs it), and either go to the location of the reptile or wait for it to be delivered. An intake assessment is done and if needed I call our vet; our vet works on a volunteer basis and only charges actual cost (not normal consumer prices) for supplies and medications. I then settle in for at least a month of caring for the beast before we make it available for adoption. Some animals are fostered much longer prior to being put up for adoption due to their condition when they come in. Then we wait for the potential adopter(s) that would best suit each reptile. We have a rather lengthy application form, we check references and go to the potential homes for all larger reptiles. I generally will not allow a monitor to be adopted until I see the new enclosure, a month's worth of rodents in the freezer, and a breeding colony (or two) of roaches going for the lizard. Some animals are not suitable or adoption so you would need to be prepared to foster them for their entire lives. I have adopted several of my fosters. Some animals are just not pet quality and you have to go above and beyond when finding them a permanent home. I had a croc monitor this spring that I found a home for in Oregon at a reptile exhibition center where he would be in an enormous enclosure and no direct human contact (except medical care), I then drove him over to his new home and helped get him settled in.
You will see animals that will break your heart. I've had lizards and snakes come through that were almost dead from bad care, burned with cigarettes, tattooed, pierced, so fat from a bad diet they could barely move, missing limbs, etc.
I spend as much on my fosters as I do on my own extensive collection for food and care. We get grants but they don't cover it all. We do fundraisers, we have local 4-H and Scout groups that put together fundraisers for us to get us money and/or supplies. I've had a Scout group build me enclosures as a service project, a local welder has donated more than one amazing enclosure that he builds in his spare time, I buy food for my own animals that eat plant matter at an organic store and they will donate veggies and fruits for the rescues on a weekly basis.
You will need to get out there and actively seek donations. You will need to find a vet that will volunteer their time. Contact the local herp society when looking for volunteers. Best of luck in your undertaking. It's awesome that you want to do this and a great idea to start planning for it now.
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